A Fox in Wonderland
by James Young
Summary: Naruto is considered insane in London because he talks about the Elemental Nations. He's lost and confused, but gets taken to Rutledge Asylum where he meets an insane Alice Liddell. Wait, what's this about an evil taking over Wonderland? Being rewritten.
1. Trailer

**I held a candle and you see my grin**

**Who else has committed such a sin?**

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><p><strong>A Trailer<strong>

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><p>In a room filled with darkness, the sounds of a child whimpering could be heard, though whether the child was a boy or a girl could not be heard. Suddenly it is revealed the there is a glass between the young browned haired bearded man staring into the hospital room, where the sounds of a child whimpering is coming from.<p>

"Will she be alright?" The young man asked, a concerned look written over his features easily. The young nurse next to him, a brunette was frowning softly to herself, looking concerned.

"We wish that we could say that Doctor, but her mind seems to have become ... broken for the lack of a better term." The young nurse admitted to the doctor, his spectacles hiding his eyes from the nurse.

"I see. Then it is unfortunate to see her in such a state." The man admitted softly, though a glint could be seen in his eyes as he watched the young girl muttering under her breath, words that could not be heard. "Please, if it needs to happen, do send my regards to the people of Rutledge Asylum. I don't want to see poor little Alice treated too unfairly during her time there."

"Of course Doctor Bumby, I'll let them know." The nurse told the man, before she started to walk off, so she could tell her bosses of the recommendation of the now respected doctor, who had rose up from the ashes of his old mentor.

"Oh poor little Alice, why must you be living on your own," Bumby mused, before he licked his lips in a way that it was barely noticeable. "You must be scared, lonely, homesick to be without your family, mustn't you? I do regret seeing you like this Alice." Bumby continued to himself, before he started walking away. "I do regret failing in actually killing you off too, but still, there is potential. You could always be what your sister refused to be," Bumby allowed a smile to grace his features, one that spoke of perversity and dark thoughts that shouldn't be thought off when thinking of a little girl at the age of merely seven.

"Mine."

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><p>Tick, tick, tick, tick, the sounds of the clock ticking was followed by the slight twitch of a young blond haired boy, the young boy kept on looking over his shoulder, wondering just where he had found himself standing. It wasn't anywhere near a forest, there was too many large, tall standing buildings around here for that, bigger than any that he had ever seen before that was for damn sure and it definitely wasn't anywhere near Konoha either, was there even anything to do with chakra here?<p>

"**Kukukuku ... kukukuku ...**" The dark ramblings of a demonic sounding voice made the young boy spin away in fright, wondering just what he had just heard, some of the adults simply ignore him, believing that he was playing a game that nobody knew about. While some of the other adults looked at the young both and each other with worried expression, wondering just what the boy was doing. Suddenly the young boy ran away from the crowd into an alleyway, for the adults had been confusing him with their looks, he didn't knew what they were looking at him like that for.

"Well, well, isn't this almost sad." The boy froze, the whisker marks on his cheeks now visible, as an extremely skinny grey cat, almost to the point that it was just skin and bones, came into view, smiling widely to the point of looking manic, ignoring its current physical state. It had a large head and paws, a long neck, sharp claws, big pointed ears and a long tail with a tuft of hair on the end. It had a gold hoop earring in its right ear and its skin was covered with black marking similar to tribal tattoos. The cat also appeared to have under-grown yellow incisors that are covered in covered in blood. Its eyes were also yellow and seemed to be glowing in the alleyway.

"..." The young boy simply stared at the cat in shock, his jaw dropping as far as it could go.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The cat's smile seemed to grin even more, if it was possible. The boy blinked.

"N-no ... just a little ... surprised, that's all." The boy admitted softly. "I haven't seen a ... Cat summon before." The boy told the talking card, who seemed to be amused by the statement.

"Oh really now, yes, you'll do just fine indeed." The cat's smile seemed to grow even more. "You'll be perfect to help Alice on her little quest."

"What?"

With that, the blond haired boy known as Naruto Uzumaki knew no more.

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><p>Alice Liddell was a young unfortunate girl, she had been in the Littlewood hospital for at least a year now, but the nightmares that had been plaguing her mind, or what was barely left of it, make her scream like a madwoman, and even sometimes attack some of the doctors andor nurses that got too close or scared the easily scared young girl into attacking them.

"So she will be going to Rutledge after all then?" One of the male doctors asked his colleague, who sighed to himself.

"Indeed, this is most unfortunate for the girl. We knew how some of the patients are treated there." The first doctor sighed, running a hand through his black hair.

"But it is for the best, we can't keep the girl here forever, nor can we force the other patients to go through with listening to the young girl screaming pleas of mercy, to spare her family." The second doctor admitted, his blond hair shining in the light. The young girl in question was currently staring up at the ceiling, her green eyes unmoving, not shifting her body for even a twitch or an itch. "But still, it's amazing how still Alice can be, it's almost like she's a puppet that's got no-one pulling the strings."

"I know what you mean, it terrifies me at time with how still and lifeless she looks."

"Indeed."

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><p>"I'm not insane! I'm not insane! I'm just not!" Naruto screamed as he tried to loosen the grip that the men had on him, only for it to be in vain.<p>

"There is no such thing as chakra, jutsu or the Elemental Nations you stupid child!" One of the doctors hissed as they proceeded to drag him down the corridor of the asylum known as Rutledge Asylum, nobody seemed to believe him, when he had asked the nearest group of people about the Elemental Nations, chakra and jutsu they had called up some doctors and they had literally forced him here, declaring that the young boy was insane.

"It's just like that girl, Alice."

"Her parents just died over a year ago! She has a reason for losing her sanity you heartless bastard!"

"This boy doesn't, he's just out of his mind."

"Or he has an incredible imagination."

"I doubt it's worth anything."

"Just hurry up! He's going to be staying in the same room as Alice after all." Naruto could hear the doctors talking as if he wasn't there, and he hated every moment of it.

"Enjoy your stay little boy! It'll be an extremely long one!" Naruto suddenly found himself being thrown into a room, which was quickly locked from the outside, much to the young boy's horror.

"You won't be getting out of here, not until they believe that you're sane." A young girl's voice rang through the room, making Naruto turn to find a girl with brown hair and green eyes staring him down with caution, the toy bunny seemed to be the only thing she owned. In fact it seemed that she was only talking because she had her toy rabbit.

"I don't even know where I am ..." Naruto uttered.

"They call this place Rutledge Asylum, according to the person who brought me here at least." The girl announced, her voice turning cold and bitter. "They don't like letting people out of here."

"Then why ARE you here?" Naruto asked.

"My parents died in the fire as I watched the building burn to the ground." She answered automatically.

"Oh ... sorry," Naruto flinched, not expecting such a blunt response.

"I don't care anymore."

"But I do!" Naruto declared. "What's your name anyway?"

"..." She stared at the boy with caution. "Alice."

"Well Alice, my name is Naruto! Pleased to meet ya," Naruto declared, holding his hand out, causing the girl to stare at it cautiously. She knew that it was a sign of politeness, so to see that this boy before knew at least some civilized manner made her feel a little relaxed.

"Naruto ... what kind of name is that?" Alice's eyes narrowed in though, while Naruto glared slightly.

"What kind of name is Alice?" Naruto shot back quickly.

"A normal one," Alice replied instantly, much to Naruto's surprise. The argument between the two would end up lasting all night long, something that was not even noticed by the doctors of Rutledge Asylum.

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><p>Mother ... Father ... Lizzie ... no! Don't die don't die don't die don't die don't die don't die don't die ... no ... no ... no!<p>

Do shut up ... we have no need for this.

**Give up your soul! Let me take control!**

Where is the weapon?

Come on Alice! We're very late indeed!

**All you've got to do is take off the seal, take it off and free me once and for all.**

I don't want to see anyone die.

I won't let you die!

Alice, please ... just don't ... die

Who are you?

I'm you ... don't you see?

Naruto ... what kind of name is that?

What kind of name is Alice?

I hate everything about you.

Murder is such a cruel word. I was thinking more of allowing someone to finally be released from this cruel world.

Madness is how we can still connect ... if it means I'll never get to see you again than I'd ... I'd...!

Words do not express how much I need you right now Alice.

Naruto ... the world seems like a darker place without your smile to light it up for me.

You made my Alice cry, you should just die!

Emptiness is simply a quote that has no meaning anymore, not like it used to, many years ago anyway.

Wow Alice, if everyone is as ugly as this bitch, then I wish I could take you back to my home ... not that I could pull that off anyway.

A work of art ... I don't know about engineers going to the moon, but you're pretty fucked in the head.

Rebellion ... the mere idea makes me feel excited inside.

At least you got to know your parents. I never knew mine to begin with.

Naruto Uzumaki and Alice Liddell, both are insane ... but who is more insane than the other?

I'm taking control thank you. You're far too weak to do anything else after all.

Let's see if this will get her to talk.

Are you fucking insane! That'll kill her, let her go!

Your toys have become your weapons, and a lot of your friends have become your enemies, what's next? You're going to meet and be friends with a rapist?

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><p><em>One has lost her family to a deadly fire<em>

_Another is just lost altogether_

_She's lost her sanity because of guilt_

_He's got too good of an imagination_

_They meet in an Asylum_

_Corruption and Tyrants stand in their way_

_Freedom can only be gained at a cost_

_What would they be really to risk?_

_How many more will die?_

_Will the demon have the last laugh?_

_There is always a method the madness_

_We just haven't found it yet_

_Naruto Uzumaki and Alice Liddell together for the first time_

_**A Fox in Wonderland**_

_For insanity always starts from somewhere_

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><p>Glowing red eyes shined in the darkness, the sight of two teenagers nearing their 20s fighting for their lives was simply amusing to the creature.<p>

"**Soon, I will take what I want, and in the process, shatter the mind of a silly, little girl.**" The gigantic eyes suddenly showed a giant grew opening up, showing all of its teeth within. "**Freedom shall soon be mine, and everything else within it, well that's just a bonus.**

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><p><strong>Trailer of A Fox in Wonderland is here.<strong>

**Now I know what you are thinking, when am I going to start writing chapters for this fic?**

**Well the answer to that is that I don't know. No seriously, I don't know. Hell, the only reason I even did this was because it was bugging me. I'm not even sure when I'll ever update again.**

**I'm not sure what I'll be doing during this time, so who knows when this will be updated.**

**However, I do know that this fic will be spread throughout the two games, even a third one if it gets done like they said they would.**

**Insanity does have to start from somewhere after all.**

**No that I need to worry about it, my mind is already producing these little moments anyway.**

**Just review for more details, I'm too tired to do it now, yea.**

**Until next time, goodbye and goodnight.**


	2. Rutledge Asylum and Wilson's Casebook

**The Queen has been demanding my head for a while you see**

**However, I'm not allowed to give it over I'm afraid**

**So until little miss Alice comes**

**I must run for my life for my time is merely a sum**

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><p>A Fox in Wonderland – Chapter 1<p>

Rutledge Asylum and Wilson's Casebook

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><p>Alice Liddell was smiling, she was smiling happily as she stood with Naruto as she was about to introduce her friend to her family. There was something about this moment that she had always been looking forward to, but what it was, she didn't know.<p>

"Naruto, I'm happy that you're here to meet my parents." Alice uttered to her best friend, who scratched his whiskered cheek, almost sheepishly, like he was shy or something along those lines.

"I feel ... a little nervous, I must admit." Naruto admitted, looking up at the ceiling, causing Alice to look at him strangely. "What if they don't like me or something? What if they ... they ..." Naruto looked away quickly, making Alice look concerned for her friend.

"Naruto, what's the matter?" Alice asked gently, wondering why her friend seemed to be out of character today.

"What if they are already **dead**?" Naruto growled, as he turned to Alice, his appearance now taking on a wilder, more feral appearance. His eyes had changed from his normal sapphire blue eyes to the cold bloodthirsty red of a demon, while the whiskers of his cheeks seemed to have become darker as well, while fangs were able to suddenly poke out from his lips. The blond gave out a dark throaty laughter, before he suddenly charged at Alice, who couldn't even begin to defend herself before she found herself being rammed up against a wall behind her violently. She let out a gasp of pain, while tears started to fill her eyes, ready to leak down her face, while Naruto gripped her neck tightly, but loose enough so she could breathe.

"What ... what are you ..." Alice tried to gasp out, only to cry in pain as Naruto tightened the grip over her neck.

"**Aww, poor little girl, you don't seem to know anything do you? But then again, Naruto doesn't know anything himself either.**" Naruto announced, as a sick grin graced his features in a way that made him look more sinister. "**Oh well, you might want to just ... wake up Alice Liddell, you don't want to miss out a chance to ... escape now, do we?"**

"What are you ..." Alice barely got out, before her neck was suddenly broken.

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><p>Naruto cringed as he heard Alice scream out like a banshee again, he had no idea what was going on, but he knew that this had started to happen only when Alice didn't have her toy rabbit, the last piece of evidence from her life before Rutledge, before her family had died in the fire. He hated watching her like this, it made him want to help his friend, know just what could be done to save her from both the treatment that the people at Rutledge gave her, and to save her from herself as well.<p>

"When will you be back to normal again? I want to be able to help you." Naruto admitted softly, before he imagined taking one of Alice's hands within his grasp. The screaming for some strange reason stopped straight away. It was always the case for some reason or another. Whenever Naruto imagined that he had taken hold of Alice's hand whenever she started screaming like a banshee, she would suddenly become silent, almost calm within her comatose state. All because of the mixture of her family dying and the sick torment that she had been through from the people that looked after them, something that made Naruto feel sick, even more sick than the day that had had been separated from Alice as long last, for they felt that he was going to cause more harm for the girl than good.

He just knew that was going to be happening to Alice tomorrow.

More of the Rutledge Asylum's ... 'treatment'.

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><p><em>Fascinating, that was what Alice Liddell was, absolutely fascinating.<em>

_For many years now, I have been trying to figure a way into the mind of Alice Liddell, but yet, she never responses to her treatment._

_Not once have I ever had a subject as fascinating as this._

_The mere picture that is Alice Liddell is something beautiful, though right now I am wondering whether or not I should even bother curing the girl, she would make such a wonderful ... toy._

_But alas, that boy ... Naruto Uzumaki watches here like a guard dog, perhaps it's for the best that I leave her alone ... for now anyway._

_Liam Young – 15/12/70_

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><p><em>Once again I have found myself staring at her weak, fragile looking body. For hours now I have been watching her, but yet, as I try to draw my eyes away from her, I am unable to.<em>

_Is it that I am fated to stay with her for the rest of our lives?_

_No, she is not fated to be with me as a human being, but as I toy I must have._

_I must wait though until Naruto is being injected with sleeping pills, though I will strike._

_Liam Young – 23/02/71_

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><p><em>As I am writing this note, my blood drips onto the piece of paper, staining it forever more.<em>

_I have made a grave error, I have made a miscalculation._

_Naruto Uzumaki was somehow able to stand the sleeping pills, he was able to wake up quickly after taking them. Merely an hour afterwards, when I was in the room about to expose her breasts, I have been a fool._

_Perhaps, this was the punishment that I deserve. Yes, this will do indeed._

_Liam Young – 23/0 -_

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><p>Naruto didn't care that he was being shouted at, not when he found out about Liam Young being dead, but yet they didn't give him a punishment, in fact Dr. Wilson had managed to find several notes in Liam's office picking evidence against the man and proving that he had been planning on doing much worse to the practically comatose girl.<p>

He wasn't punished, but nor was he rewarded either. It wouldn't do well for Rutledge to encourage murder after all, especially with how most of their members to begin with had either be sent to Rutledge because they were murderers or were just plain insane.

No, it wouldn't do well at all.

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><p>Rutledge Private Clinic and Asylum<p>

Casebook

Patient: Alice

Date Admitted: 4 November 1864

Physician: Heironymous Q. Wilson

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><p><em>1864<em>

_4 November 1864_

_Received confirmation from the Superintendent that I will be given the opportunity to treat a very troubled and difficult patient. Dubious honour! Her name is Alice, and her prognosis is not promising. After looking at her file, I'm astonished she has survived this long. She has been nearly comatose for a year._

_"Would I have admitted her had I known then what I know __now?__" -3/10/73_

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><p><em>11 November 1864<em>

_Mute on a stretcher, with her head curiously bandaged, Alice seems to cling precariously to life. Her burns have healed remarkably in the year since the fire, but she languishes in a deep trance-like dementia. It's as if the blaze consumed her senses wholesale. Deaf, dumb and blind to all stimulation, she's a fair match for the infirmary's gloom._

_In a frenzied instant, a cankered feline pounced on Alice while she was about to be carried inside. Startled by the cat's yowl, the bearers lost their grip and dropped the wretched girl to the ground. Most curious to behold, the cat stood atop Alice as if claiming territorial right, or as if defending a rodent captured in the day's hunt from other hungry predators. Only when an orderly threatened it with a stick did the creature scamper into a nearby hedge. Even then the cat crouched beneath the shrubbery. With eyes agape, it fixed on Alice as if it had some vital interest in our proceedings._

_"It pays to heed the feline — something I've learned over the years." -21/10/73_

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><p><em>13 November 1864<em>

_In the twelvemonth since the conflagration, Alice has dropped further into a grim and darkly quiet abyss. It's a wonder the Superintendent didn't bury her deep within the Bedlam catacombs. The surgeons were able to cure the flesh, but they've done nothing to treat the inflammation of her brain. It's not sure what he expects me to accomplish with her. I suppose he thinks that in my twenty-three years within these troubled walls I've mastered a curriculum not taught in Oxford classrooms._

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><p><em>14 November 1864<em>

_Her one possession is a toy__— a sooty, stuffed rabbit whose single button-eye dangles from a loose thread. Plaything from her time of innocence, and her only link to life before the fire, the rabbit is now sentinel to Alice's deepening dementia._

_"The rabbit may prove a valuable instrument for shock therapy. I should have noticed it sooner." -21/10/73_

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><p><em>8 December 1864<em>

_When I hold a flame to her eye, nothing in her vacuous gaze betrays the faintest glimmer of response. I clap a pair of blocks at her ear. Nothing. Neither her sight nor her hearing appear to be damage, still she registers nothing at all. The rumor (passed on by Reverend Mottle amongst others) alleges that she feels nothing — not pain, or fear or other torments — is neither credible nor kind. Still, she is far, far gone, this one._

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><p><em>9 December 1864<em>

_In many ways it's as if she's in the grave already; her countenance so still she appears to be in training for the coffin. Indeed, if she were to die today in this old hospital, nary a person would take note other than those few who recall her name from the papers. Those few who'd mutter to themselves "ah, that's a shame - the poor girl," and then turn the page to learn more of the recent stabbings in Notting Hill._

_"So quiet she appeared. Was the deep madness already coursing through her mind?" -23/10/73_

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><p><em>10 December 1864<em>

_Though she appears weak, she must have a strong constitution to have survived until now. Her fever persists, her breathing heaves violently at times and, even after more than a year of healing, burns so massive commonly cause great discomfort. You'd never imagine she's in any distress, though, the way lies there, as lifeless as a British Museum mummy. I daresay, however, that I'll stir her from her dreamery, even if the response is involuntary. I'll begin tomorrow with a steady treatment of cold plasters and bloodletting. The bleeding might cause some relief to her dementia. I also have a new shock apparatus that I'd like to try on her. I'm curious to see how she reacts to this treatment._

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><p><em>14 December 1864<em>

_The physicians who treated her burns reported that she barely noticed when they debrided and dressed her wounds. Indeed, she rarely showed any agitation at all when they examined her over the months. They also report, however, that on some nights, she howled like a banshee. When the nurses responded to the screams, Alice would hush, as if magically released from her demons._

_Eventually, they stopped responding to these outbursts. And, after a short while, she stopped uttering any noise whatsoever._

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><p><em>1865<em>

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><p><em>6 January 1865<em>

_Another patient died in the night. I'd been treating her with the same potion I intend for Alice. I had been quite certain she was improving with each subsequent vial, so this development is quite vexing. Perhaps the stronger mixture was too much for her chronically weak chest. A little more experimentation is in order before I feed this serum to Alice._

_"A little __less laudanum__ and a __little more__ camphor might have spared her." -13/12/73_

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><p><em>22 January 1865<em>

_The bleeding doesn't appear to be causing a significant change, except for the increased pallor of her complexion. Contrasted against her drab rags, she's turned an uncanny shade of ivory. The bloodletting will prime her constitution for my restorative potion._

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><p><em>18 February 1865<em>

_Three amputations in a week - that's a high number, for any hospital. I dream of wiggling stumps and splintery crutches. I mumble a prayer of thanks to Napoleon's surgeon - how terrible the screams must have been before he discovered the technique for painless amputation._

_I can't seem to escape the __chloroform's__ cloying odor._

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><p><em>23 February 1865<em>

_Through the windows of my laboratory, I can glimpse the garden ward. Nurse D- is leading a group of children to the airing room. I listen to great shuffling of feet on the pebble path. Will Alice, I wonder, ever stroll the grounds with the others? Will she ever regain her senses? Or, for the rest of her days will she remain cloistered behind these thick, grey walls? Based on her progress so far, it seems futile to hold out much hope for a cure._

_"Little could I have imagined her mind would eventually gambol in unimaginable forests and gardens." -27/1/74_

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><p><em>24 February 1865<em>

_In the first months of her treatment, a surgeon by the name of Grantham took particular interest in Alice's case. He viewed her early reluctance to rejoin society as quite normal considering what she'd been through. The all-consuming fire. The loss of one's entire family. The shattered and scorched body. It's quite natural for anyone, let alone a child, to give way under such strain._

_Yet, as the months passed, and as Grantham became more familiar with Alice, he began to comprehend that her problems were a manifestation of a far graver trauma. Bones eventually mended, as did the seared flesh; yet Alice remained locked away in her cocoon. Unfortunate chap, this Grantham. Seems like he had a collapse of his own. One day he was going about his hospital routine, perambulating amongst the feeble and infirm. The next day, though no one knows why, he turned up every bit as diseased as one of his patients, speaking gibberish and smashing apothecary jars. I've seen it happen here where doctors pass over to the other side, and, frankly, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. At any rate, Grantham's tale concludes with a particularly grisly accident with a surgical implement._

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><p><em>23 March 1865<em>

_Nothing seems to aggravate the girl. I've tried restraint — handcuffs, leg-locks and straightjackets. I've tried solitary confinement. On the other hand, I've allowed her to smell freedom, leaving her for hours at a time unattended in the garden. Yet nothing stirs her. I still have a number of methods, some of which I haven't engaged in since the old days, but I'm beginning to doubt anything can bring about a change in this one._

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><p><em>1 April 1865<em>

_Each year on this peculiar day I pause — exactly at noon according to my pocket-watch — to ponder the absurdity of such a day. Is it not ironic that we here should celebrate a holiday dedicated to fools?_

_The girl has shut down completely. If it were possible, I'd say Alice has retreated even further into what the European practitioners of psychiatry call her "psyche." I'll keep trying different methods, but unless there's some sort of marked improvement, there's no reason to hope. I'll document progress... if indeed there ever is any progress._

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><p><em>1873<em>

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><p><em>7 September 1873<em>

_After years of slumber, she chooses to speak to us with a picture, a drawing of some sort of cat. Really, it's nothing like any cat I've ever seen._

_"Even a drawing so bizarre couldn't foreshadow the imaginings to come." -29/3/74_

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><p><em>9 September 1873<em>

_I admit to a certain amount of excitement over Alice's semi-awakening. I have to be careful, though. At this point, it's difficult to tell what this development - what I'm pleased to call her "progress" - signifies._

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><p><em>10 September 1873<em>

_While Alice napped following her afternoon sedation, Nurse D- took it upon to replace the rabbit's missing eye. Even after living so many years in an infirm population, it can still surprise me when a seemingly trivial act can trigger such a remarkable reaction._

_Alice woke from her nap and began to sob hysterically._

_"Tell me, child, what's wrong?" pleaded Nurse D-. "What is it, dear?"_

_In an instant of semi-awareness, Alice spoke a sort of poetry._

_"Into the hole again, we hurried along our way into a once-glorious garden now seeped in dark decay"_

_She continued to cry, and it was only when Nurse D- plucked the newly stitched eye from the rabbit's face that Alice fell back into her customary state._

_"With such behaviour, maybe it was a mistake to stir these waters and awaken her." -29/3/74_

_I compare her response - and my reaction to it - to the person who daily tosses a pebble into a pool of still water. Day after day, the pebble plunges to the murky bottom, causing a few nearly imperceptible ripples. One day, however, the pebble miraculously strikes a fish. What are the odds other than incredible to ponder? And what are the effects - compared to the ripples. Nurse D-, to follow the analogy, struck a fish in the pond today._

_I don't know whether to cheer at this response — any response — or grow alarmed over the intensity of her emotional outburst. At least we discovered one thing: __she can speak._

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><p><em>11 September 1873<em>

_When she is so inclined, Alice can draw. This morning I was greeted by another of Alice's artistic phantasmagorias. What is it she's rendering? I can only think it's a depiction of her nightmare of Hell._

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><p><em>12 September 1873<em>

_Two demented youths hung themselves side by side in the ward last night. As a result, I couldn't devote any time to Alice or any other patients. There was some dissension from the townsfolk about not wanting these suicides to be buried within city limits. After some discussion, they relented. It was agreed to bury the boys separately in a clandestine fashion. One will be buried far behind Ramsbottom church, the other in Ribchester._

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><p><em>15 September 1873<em>

_It takes two to feed her, one to wedge open her mouth and the other to funnel food and medicine down her throat. Her jaw, it seems, is clenched in a death's grip._

* * *

><p><em>1 October 1873<em>

_For the past fortnight, I have labored until dawn in the laboratory preparing a new potion. Her recent activity has reinvigorated my research. I discovered last night, quite by accident really, that the smallest infusion of prussic acid and strychnine brings about a curious reaction. At least it seems to work well on the rats._

_Too much of either ingredient could prove quite lethal of course._

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><p><em>15 October 1873<em>

_Approaching Alice's room, I heard the muffled sounds of laughter. A pair of orderlies were cursing at her and threatening her with leather straps. It's easy to see that this pair was weaned from the same teat._

_Alice didn't respond to their tomfoolery; and the orderlies were not impressed by my reprimand. Good help is so hard to find._

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><p><em>18 October 1873<em>

_The Superintendent paid a visit. The smell of his perfumed handshake is still in my nostrils. He doesn't visit often, but when he does he arrives unannounced and remains overlong. Typically, he flounces through the infirmary pretending to be interested in this case or that. This time, he requested to see Alice and asked for the leeches. When she refused to stir, the Superintendent stretched wide his mouth in a yawn of infinite boredom._

_When I displayed some of her recent artwork, the Superintendent's attention was caught again as if someone jabbed his fatty palm with a hot poker._

_"He was in a very __agitated__ state when he departed." -7/4/74_

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><p><em>24 October 1873<em>

_Nurse D- has been listening from outside the door. Alice, it seems, has been muttering inarticulately. Though no one can understand her, it's likely she's addressing the one-eyed hare._

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><p><em>26 October 1873<em>

_Her case is not overly remarkable... at least not when compared to the countless other patients who live within these walls. I am not minimizing her tragedy — the undeniable strain is enough to set anyone's mind askew. Imagine the horror of hearing the piteous cries of your entire family — trapped in their burning bedrooms — and being unable to help. Alice certainly heard such screams. I imagine she's been hearing them for ten years._

_"Looking back, I retract this statement. Her case __IS__ most remarkable." -7/4/74_

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><p><em>28 October 1873<em>

_I wedged a spoon into her clenched teeth while Nurse D-, serving as my reluctant assistant, poured the newest potion down her throat. When the convulsions commenced, I double-checked the harness, turned down the flame, and left the room. It's a matter of waiting now. __She'll have a fitful sleep tonight._

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><p><em>3 November 1873<em>

_I hear the clock ticking onward, past midnight, and then I'm suddenly aware of other sounds. In the barren pit of the night, the most disturbed minds are alive throughout the asylum. Alice isn't stirring, so I listen to the blood-curdling shrieks, the haunting clank of shackles, the insane groaning, insufferable babble and lunatic mutterings._

_After the initial convulsions, Alice's body again appears lifeless. If it weren't for the for the sporadic utterances in her sleep, I'd hold the mirror to her mouth. It's impossible to comprehend what she says. It sounds like "too glum" or "through him" or "boo-jum". Nonsense really. Is it a person's name? A place? Or simply some conjuring of this raving delirium? I yell the utterance into her ear and prick her shoulder with a needle — she gasps, but her speech does not become any clearer._

_"__Boojum__! But how does she construct such fantasies?" -11/4/74_

_The potion courses through her blood. Sitting in this cold room reminds me of the last treatment here. The shredded padding recalls to my mind the patient who believed rats spoke to him — they lived in the padding, he said. Indeed, he believed the spirits of his ancestors spoke to him through the rats. After the surgical drilling, he stopped having such delusions and was removed to the dormitory._

_Alice remains quiet._

* * *

><p><em>17 November 1873<em>

_She didn't stir for two weeks after the last treatment. Day after day, the orderlies force the medicine-laced broth and other necessary gruel into her. Perhaps, again, I was mistaken; perhaps nothing can save the girl._

_She signalled a return to semi-consciousness with yet another sketch._

* * *

><p><em>21 November 1873<em>

_Once again, the orderlies were up to their usual pranks. Weary of prying open Alice's mouth, the orderlies started "feeding" Alice's toy rabbit, spooning porridge onto the stuffed toy._

_"My suspicions are confirmed. Those oafish orderlies are the Superintendent's misbegotten nephews!" -13/4/74_

_While engaged in this feeding, the orderlies learned an essential lesson in asylum protocol — never turn your back on a patient... no matter how docile she seems._

_From information I've gathered, Alice woke from her comatose state and attacked the orderlies. Quite venomous in her outburst, she pursued one of the twins with a spoon. Even in her condition, she was able to deliver quite a gash. She clutched the spoon like it was a butcher knife, gouging into his fleshy cheek. Ceasing in mid-attack, she turned the spoon on herself, digging it into her wrists, trying to open up her veins. I stitched her wounds and tended to the orderly. Alice shouldn't suffer any permanent physical scars; it's too early to say the same about the orderly._

_"An outburst such as this shouldn't have surprised me." -13/4/74_

_She has returned to her dormant state. Nothing I say or do can entice her to relive her early morning animation._

* * *

><p><em>7 December 1873<em>

_Here's been a slight change. Her mouth is now relaxed, and we can feed her without force. When it's time for her elixir, she seems to part her lips slightly as if she's inviting the new potion into her belly._

_Hardly a cure, but any change symbols progress._

* * *

><p><em>8 December 1873<em>

_A mangy cat was licking at Alice's cheek. It hissed when I entered, and pounced onto the windowsill — it must be flesh and bones only to squeeze through the grate. I could almost perceive a smile on its scabbed face. It's curious how an animal's countenance can appear almost human._

_There are so many feral cats on the grounds. I wouldn't be surprised if they outnumber the patients._

* * *

><p><em>11 December 1873<em>

_Six insane children escaped today - no word has come yet regarding their apprehension. I hope they don't harm the townspeople._

* * *

><p><em>12 December 1873<em>

_Nurse D- lifted Alice into a wheelchair and rolled her, along with the one-eyed rabbit, into the airing courtyard. Perhaps a change of scenery might entice a bit of cooperative behavior. The nurse favors the latest doctrine espoused by the Commissioners. Compassion is creed of the day._

_I watched from the window of my study. Alice didn't twitch._

* * *

><p><em>13 December 1873<em>

_Something in the outdoor air may have stirred her imagination. On her return she produced an intriguing sketch. Once again she proves she is capable of doing something other than staring at the yellowed paint on the ceiling._

* * *

><p><em>15 December 1873<em>

_It's been three days since I removed the rabbit from her room. We can hear her screams growing louder through the closed door._

* * *

><p><em>16 December 1873<em>

_The missing children were found in the abandoned schoolhouse near Milton Cross. Five were returned to infirmary bruised and bloodied from their excursion to the world outside. One was found at the bottom of an abandoned well._

* * *

><p><em>18 December 1873<em>

_She raves on, worse today than ever before, as her latest drawings all too clearly indicate._

* * *

><p><em>21 December 1873<em>

_When I entered her room today, Alice screamed at me to leave. I called for Nurse D-. We strapped her down and increased the morning dosage._

* * *

><p><em>25 December 1873<em>

_She has returned to her trance-like state, with one notable exception — her mouth stretches very wide whenever anyone enters the room. Whether it's for the potion or for the food, she's definitely inviting more._

* * *

><p><em>1874<em>

* * *

><p><em>4 April 1874<em>

_Months pass and again nothing._

_I've increased the prussic acid by two drops per day. I wonder if I'm wasting my efforts. Perhaps another patient would be a better choice for this treatment._

* * *

><p><em>17 April 1874<em>

_Months pass and still nothing. Nurse D-, having lost patience with my treatments, insists on trying a "cure" of her own. She stitched the rabbit together and tucked it into bed with Alice._

* * *

><p>For months, ever since Alice had started speaking to the doctors, to people trying to find a care to her ... madness, Naruto had been starting to get more and more dreams, more and more visits from the most strangest of animals. But this was one surely his strangest yet.<p>

"Come now Naruto, I have been visiting you for months, did you really expect to stop now?" Cheshire grinned widely as Naruto, while the 18 year old boy scowled at the old, skinny cat with distain. "After all, this had been foreseen in the very beginning, ever since the night where Alice lost her parents to the ... fire."

"There is something that you're not telling me Cat, or for that matter, Rabbit, really, what am I doing here? The fact that you've been appearing in my dreams for several months now kind of tells me that you might actually be one of the main reasons that I found myself taken from my true home. Having to listen to her screams at night, hoping that it will stop, but yet knowing that it won't," Naruto started to rant about Alice and her reactions and his sheer desperations to finally put a stop to her tormented screams. The White Rabbit was a large white rabbit with pink eyes and a small nose, its twin buckteeth sticking down over its lower lip just below its small pink nose. However, this rabbit was unnaturally thin and standing upon its hind legs with its hands folded while appearing somewhat ... 'twisted', it was also somehow wearing clothes, which consisted of a pair of black kid gloves, white spats, yellow vest with a pocket watch chain hanging from it, red overcoat, and black top hat, which strangely enough gave the odd white rabbit a gentlemanly appearance.

"Now, now Naruto, I hate her torture as much as you do, but until she finally get her toy rabbit, we simply cannot even begin to start helping her repair her mind." Rabbit told the blond, who's eyes widen in surprise.

"Wait a second, you mean to tell me that you've been waiting for her to have been growing up all this time?" Naruto snapped, wondering how upset he should potentially be with them both.

"It's not like I wanted to have waited for this long! Had I been able to, I would have made sure to have started this sooner!" Rabbit replied darkly, causing Naruto to flinch slightly, perhaps he had been a bit too quick to judge them both on the matter.

"Regardless, the pieces are soon to find themselves in place and I for one know that we cannot afford to mess this up." Cheshire told them both, still grinning as always, though it was obvious that he really wanted to stop doing so. Naruto looked thoughtful.

"So, you're saying that this will in fact definitely save Alice from her madness, her insanity?" Naruto asked slowly, wondering if he should be able to put his faith in them both.

"Of course, we must save Wonderland in order to save Alice, for without her, we are all doomed!" Rabbit exclaimed, as Cheshire's eyes narrowed slightly, before he started to walk away.

"It's soon going to start, we need to prepare." Cheshire told them both, while Naruto looked confused by what he meant.

"What do you ..." Naruto started, only for the world to go black.

* * *

><p>Naruto woke up with his face in the water, wondering just what had just happened when he took in his surroundings. He cringed when he realized that he was most likely in a sewer, in front of a gigantic gate.<p>

"What an earth." Naruto uttered only to disappear just before an enormous pair of razor sharp claws impaled where he had once stood, a growl of frustrations ripped through the air.

"**So close, but I suppose that my fun hasn't truly began yet.**" A demonic voice cut into the air, as a giant pair of blood red eyes could be seen from behind the bars of a prison that seemed to be holding a nine-tailed orange-furred demon fox at bay. "**For now I shall wait, before attempting to take his body, for seeing people fighting for their lives or much more entertaining than anything else.**"

* * *

><p>Alice laid in her bed staring wide eyed at the ceiling of her room, however the look was empty, like it wasn't even anyone at the controls of her very systems. The covers of her bed were pulled to her chest. By her left arm, was an old looking white rabbit doll, which now only had one of its buttoned eyes left. There were visible slits on her wrists, which was more worrying than most of the other things.<p>

"Poor girl, after all these years," A woman mused as she watched the young girl lying in her bed. "Maybe that old rabbit will bring her around." The sounds of a metal door closing loudly could be heard, but it was not because the woman had slammed it shut, but because of the sheer size and weight of the door. The sounds of the mad and insane didn't affect the girl, nor did the thunder and lightning as Alice started to move her arm slightly after she blinked, merely happy to see it's old and tattered self once again, even if she didn't show her happiness with a smile or anything like that. She turned her head towards the toy, only for her jaw to suddenly drop slightly when the toy moved on its own, her eyes widen in shock when it spoke three words that would start the chain of events that would forever change her life and of one other.

"_Save us Alice!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1 ... or chapter 2 is finally completed.<strong>

**Whatever one it is you can decide, not that it matters much or anything, since I've been lost for a while now. Just from lack of sleeping, nothing else.**

**Anyway, I have had PMs asking me questions like "Are there going to be more chapters?" or "When are we going to be seeing an update?"**

**In my reviews I've been called "A sick bastard" and other stuff.**

**Well my fine ... well my ... nevermind, I'm not calling you anything insulting or praising cause all I'm saying is that I'm actually updating now!**

**My muse for this fiction suddenly came to live at 2am ... and would not die until 5am ... I've now had sleep, but not a lot of it. My muse is a dangerous thing and right now it's probably doing my body some damage as well.**

**Also, in my last chapter, when I said that I didn't know when I would be updating, I pretty much meant, that I generally did not know what I was going be doing.**

**Hell, if I knew when I was updating anything, I would probably have a calendar and pick at it before giving off dates of when to expect an update from anything.**

**But that fact that I can't shows you people that I am unable to do predict when my muse comes alive or anything.**

**There's also the fact that I've been busy with exams all December as well, which I barely passed. Quite literally on one of them.**

**Anyway, I'm going to stop ranting, cause you're probably sick of seeing this.**

* * *

><p><strong>Snippet - Foxy Whiskers<strong>

For many years now I have been wondering when I would be able to go home. Despite all of the times that I have enjoy myself here in Italy.

Monteriggioni has become a new home to me, one so great that I don't even miss the one that I left behind, despite Madara Uchiha's best attempt to kill me.

The language Italian had been somewhat difficult to learn, however, thankfully enough there was someone who knew Japanese in the city that knew my home language, I am now blessed with two languages now.

Mario Auditore, the man who helps run Monteriggioni tells me that he expects a problem to start up in Florence and that his family will soon end up coming here to our home, that has admittedly become run down over the years.

My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I am an assassin.

* * *

><p><strong>Just a preview, nothing more.<strong>

**Until next time, goodbye and goodnight.**


	3. Dropping In On Wonderland

**I'm not sure what to expect anymore.**

**Should I react to some reviews or should I not?**

**Edit: Made a note of saying what Naruto was wearing... it was what I pictured when I was writing the chapter, complain all you want, it's cemented in stone now.**

* * *

><p>A Fox in Wonderland – Chapter 2<p>

Dropping In On Wonderland

* * *

><p>If there was something that would confuse anyone, it would simply be this. A blond haired man falling from the sky wearing what appeared to be a loose black jacket that revealed a blood red plain looking shirt beneath, he also wore a black pair skin-tight trousers and a pair of black boots.<p>

Naruto hadn't know what the hell was going on when he was suddenly transported in midair, but all he knew was that he was falling at a rapid pace. He needed to grab something, anything, to stop himself from hitting the ground with a splat. He didn't want to die! He didn't want to die! He didn't want to die!

He suddenly felt himself slowing down.

Naruto, who had closed his eyes mid-fall, slowly opened them to see just what was going on, only to be surprised when he found his hands for some odd reason glowing a light blue colour. It was soon that he came to a halt in his tracks, much to his surprise. He frowned, wondering if he could somehow walk down the side of the hole, or if he did fall again, was able to land on his feet.

Naruto decided to experiment.

He placed his feet on the wall, slowly at first, before he felt himself grow in confidence and allowed himself to stand sideways on the wall without the use of his hands. Slowly but surely, he started to walk down the wall, as his confidence grew, he started to run down the wall until he was near the end of the drop, and decided to jump towards the floor, finding himself flipping in midair so he could land on his feet.

"How was I able to do that?" Naruto asked out loud, looking at his hands and even feet in disbelief. "I was actually acting like a ninja, a ninja from the Elemental Nations! But I haven't had anyone to teach me any of this! So how would I be able to pull any of this off?"

"That would be because you have an imagination, Naruto." A familiar voice told the blond, who looked up to see Rabbit looking at him, with what seemed like a tired expression.

"My imagination, really," understandably, Naruto didn't seem to believe to believe Rabbit. After all, despite everything that Naruto had gone and done in the past, even he was starting to believe that he would never be able to develop the powers of the ninja that belonged in the Elemental Nations.

"I don't have the time to explain, time is short and while you are on time, Alice is once again late. Unfortunately, it seems that bad habits don't die with age." Rabbit waved off Naruto's concerns for now, before making a comment about Alice's arrival. Naruto blinked in surprise.

"Alice is coming? But how will she –" Naruto started to ask, only to hear a girly scream from above. "Oh."

"Here she comes now." Rabbit commented, not the slightest bit concerned with the fact that Alice seemed to be falling from the sky. Naruto however, positioned himself so he could catch the falling girl. A few moments later, one Alice Liddell found herself in the arms of one Naruto Uzumaki. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before Naruto broke the silence.

"Hey, it's been a while." Naruto grinned at the girl in his arms, who looked surprised.

"N-Naruto... put me down please." Alice seemed somewhat embarrassed by the fact she had been caught by her friend, however, it was when she was on her own feet did she realize that Naruto was actually here... in Wonderland. "Naruto... how did you find your way into Wonderland, no... why are you in Wonderland?" She looked expectant of him, clearly wanting an answer. However it was Rabbit, who broke the silence, huffing in annoyance.

"Please don't dawdle, Alice. We're very late indeed!" Rabbit told the girl, before scampering off down the wooden path on all fours. Alice seemed somewhat confused by what was going on. Merely a few moments after Rabbit had left, Cheshire faded into existence, giving its monstrously wide grin to their direction, looking more starved than ever, its eyes simmering from a distance.

Lazily, it made its way over to them, its claws making clattering sounds across the ground as it did so. Alice allowed herself to smile at the sight of the cat.

"You've gone quite mangy Cat, but your grin's a comfort." Alice told him, her arms now folded behind her back. Cheshire seemed to be looking at both Alice and Naruto, though for what reasons Alice was not sure.

"And you've picked up a bit of an attitude." Cheshire sounded amused by this fact, Alice seemed like she was about to frown. "Still curious and willing to learn, I hope." It was clear that Cheshire was being sarcastic. He knew what Alice's answer was already. Her gaze found its way towards Naruto, who was looking around them without a care in a world, like he was studying the area around them.

"How is it that Naruto is in Wonderland? I do believe that he isn't mad, in fact, I still yet know the reason why he is here." Alice questioned Cheshire, before noting about Naruto's mental health, she knew that her friend wasn't mad, he merely had a great imagination, like she did. Though her fear for fire was partly the reason for her own insanity, but was understandable when you took into account that her parents and her sister were killed in the fire itself.

"I think that it was something to do with your accent, I always did find it really cute to listen to." Naruto mused out loud. She stared at the blond with a strange expression over her features before she turned to Cheshire again, who looked amused by what Naruto was doing. "I merely wanted to spend more time with you, Alice. I've missed the good old days when we were separated as much." Naruto confessed, causing Alice to sigh. It wasn't like he was the only one missing those days.

"His imagination runs wild, his desire to help is just an added bonus." Cheshire purred, his grin widening as a result. Well, that wasn't the clear answer that she was hoping to get, but it did seem to imply that Naruto came to Wonderland on his own free will. Whether that meant he was slightly insane or not was another matter.

"Wonderland has become quite strange. How is one meant to find her way?" Alice asked Cheshire rocking on her heels. The cat merely rolled his eyes at her.

"As knowing where you're going is preferable to being lost, ask. Rabbit knows a thing or two, and I, myself don't need a weathervane to tell which way the wind blows." Cheshire offered, waving a paw at its side. Naruto licked his lips for a moment, before blinking, wondering why he had just done so. "Let your need guide your behaviour, suppress your instinct to lead. Pursue Rabbit." Cheshire faded away from existence, leaving Alice and Naruto by themselves. The situation seemed somewhat awkward to say the least.

"Shall we get going?" Naruto asked, breaking the tension, to which Alice nodded quickly. It had been several months since they had actually been able to talk to each other properly. Though Naruto had stood outside of Alice's room quite often in the asylum, but that was because of the 'Liam Young incident' as they called it.

It didn't stop Naruto once chasing the Superintendent's nephews around the asylum for four straight hours on one occasion the month after Alice had stabbed one of them with a spoon. Naruto didn't get in trouble for that incident. In fact Dr. Wilson had praised him, calling the twins a pair of misbegotten fools. That had been the last time that Naruto and Alice had really gotten into a conversation, not that anyone knew about it.

"Yes, best be off." Alice agreed, quickly making her way through the tunnel. Naruto followed, taking note of the skull that was holding together the bow of her Pinafore dress. The blond had to follow quickly after his friend to simply keep up, just because they hadn't talked for months, didn't mean that he couldn't help Alice out in any way that he could.

There was also the matter that he had been hearing voices in his head as of late as well. It was barely noticeable, but it was still enough to cause Naruto some concern regarding the matter. However, Naruto had to put that to one side, helping Alice was far more important. He spotted his best friend speaking to a small looking man with some kind of glowing sphere that seemed to be held on his back by some metal material.

"Our land is destroyed, our spirit crushed." The short man told them sadly.

"Reminds me of the asylum," Alice mused out loud. "Is there no joy here?"

"Slavery and Happiness do not dwell in the same house." He told Alice (and Naruto) before wandering off to his own devices. Cheshire suddenly appeared, sitting beside a large wooden plank leading to a steam vent of some kind. Naruto was able to judge the gap by walking closer to it, feeling more than a bit surprised by the sheer size of it.

"So, how do you expect both Alice and I to get across this?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at Cheshire, who merely grinned in response, before looking at them both.

"When the path is problematical, consider a leap of faith. Ride the Wind." Cheshire gave an answer before fading away once more. Naruto and Alice stared at each other, neither feeling too comfortable about the idea of jumping across such a big gap.

"Do you think you can make this jump or do you think that you will need me to help you out?" Naruto asked Alice, who suddenly gave him a glare, much to his surprise.

"I do believe that I can do this myself, thank you very much." Alice frowned, before looking at the gap that she had announced that she would jump. She suddenly felt her confidence drain away quickly, only to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She ran forward and jumped towards the gap. Naruto stared as he looked on to see the vent actually blowing up smoky air which was actually keeping Alice up in the air thanks to the skirt of her dress expanding outwards, without the girl even realizing. Alice looked around her in surprise when she realized that she was actually floating in midair because of her dress. She quickly shifted her weight towards the other side of the gap, before successfully landing on the plank, much to her relief.

"I forgot that you liked to be independent." Naruto mused out loud, before looking at the gap, thinking about how he could use his chakra to make the gap. Using his imagination seemed to work last time for stopping his fall last time, so maybe doing the same would work this time. He took a few steps back, licked his lips before charging forward, just as he jumped, he pumped his chakra from his feet, to allow him to get across. He flipped in midair in an attempt to slow himself down, having realized that he was going to slam into the wall on the other side otherwise. However, it didn't work, and instead of slamming the whole of his body into the wall, one of his legs had gone through the wall, leaving the blond hanging from the wall limply, much to his embarrassment.

Alice stared at her best friend in disbelief, which was saying something.

"What? It's not like I have a dress like yours, I had to try some other methods." Naruto crossed his arms in displeasure. "Note to self, don't use so much chakra next time, power isn't everything.

"Do you need some help, Naruto?" Alice asked the blond haired boy, who frown in annoyance, before actually pulling his leg out of the wall and flipping so he could land on his feet, though the landing seemed slightly awkward.

"I don't think so, no." Naruto admitted, causing Alice to shake her head. They slowly made their way towards the front of a building which had a sign that said "Drole Vel's Extraction", Naruto took note that he had managed to make a hole in the building because of his misguided jump, and hope that the small man that was starting outside, who might well be "Drole Vel" for all he knew, had not noticed the damage. Though Naruto quickly got distracted by the odd sphere that was also on his back as well, a sign of the slavery that the first gnome-like man mentioned perhaps.

"Stir up no trouble, strangers. The Red Queen's agents are ruthless." The man told them, looking at the duo from the porch of what seemed to be his home. Naruto and Alice exchanged looks for a moment, before Naruto took in the area to see if there was anyone anything that could either cause them a problem or give them an advantage.

"I'm not afraid of her, or her creatures. Never was, really." Alice stated, before she started to muse to herself, leaving Naruto to continue studying the area. "You should stand up to them." Alice gave her opinion, to which the gnome grimaced. Naruto frowned at the negativity that the gnome was showing.

"Defiance is useless. While the Queen reigns, only death can release us from this misery." The gnome told them both miserly, to which Alice rolled her eyes in annoyance. Naruto meanwhile smirked darkly.

"Her death would do just the same, I believe." Naruto pointed out, to which Alice nodded in agreement. The gnome however sighed sadly and left them to their business. Alice turned to Naruto.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" Alice asked her best friend, who grinned at her.

"Of course I am! Why do you think otherwise?" Naruto grinned as he made his way towards her slowly. She gave him a look.

"You're limping, that is always the first sign that you are not okay." Alice pointed out bluntly. Naruto sighed.

"Fine, I'm not in the best of shape after that misplaced jump, but how are we going to get me cured anyway, it's not like it can suddenly happen out of the blue." Naruto told her, before suddenly the Cheshire cat appeared down the hallway, grinning widely.

"Having a problem, are we?" Cheshire asked them calmly, the same tone that he also seemed to have. Alice nodded.

"Naruto managed to hurt himself perform his leap over the gap." Alice told the cat, leaving Naruto frowning in annoyance.

"I could have told him myself." Naruto pointed out.

"If I recall, a few moments ago, you told me that you were fine, when you clearly were not." Alice pointed out, making Naruto cringe.

"So what I'm limping? Doesn't mean anything, it won't slow me down or anything." Naruto told them.

"Slow you down you may not believe, but a burden is something that we cannot afford." Cheshire told them, before making his way down the wooden path before coming to a stop by a pair of giant roots sticking out of the ground. The cat motioned towards a glowing red stone and grinned towards them. "This is Meta-essence, soon you will learn of its many uses." Cheshire grabbed it with his teeth and carried it over towards the two. Naruto by this time had dropped to the ground, sitting awkwardly as he rubbed the leg that had been stuck in the wall not too long ago. Cheshire proceeded to drop the little red stone and push it towards Naruto, who grabbed it, looking at the stone curiously.

"So what am I-" Naruto started, only to pause in surprise when the stone shined brightly, before fading away, leaving Naruto and his leg back in perfect condition.

"Pray tell me why I've never seen such a curious thing in Wonderland before." Alice sounded surprised. Cheshire merely grinned once more before giving an explanation.

"Meta-Essence is the life force of all things in Wonderland. That of your enemies is especially potent. Collect what you can. Use it wisely." Cheshire urged them before fading away once more. Naruto smirked to himself, before flipping himself back to his feet. He then gave Alice a sheepish expression.

"Well, at least we now know what to do and what to find when one of us gets hurt now, I guess." Naruto admitted, sounding slightly embarrassed. Alice merely nodded in agreement.

"Please try to avoid hurting yourself pointlessly in the future, Naruto." Alice requested quietly, to which the blond nodded.

"You got it." Naruto agreed.

They made their way through the mines, before much to their surprise, they came across a handful of knifes and blades. Naruto was the first to approach it, before motioning for Alice to join him in the search throughout the scattered weapons.

"I don't know why, but something tells me that we will need to use these weapons soon." Naruto confessed a feeling, or even a fear that something might be needed to happen soon. Alice gave Naruto a strange look.

"Naruto, pray tell me what makes you believe that we will need to have a weapon?" Alice asked her best friend as he picked up a black katana with a red leather handle, he looked around some more, before picking up a few kunai as well.

"You can never be too sure what's going to happen." Naruto told her, putting his new kunai away in a pouch that he was putting on. "Come on, take something. I would hate for you to be unprepared." Alice slowly nodded, before she looked around her, only to blink when something catches her eyes.

"What is this?" Alice bent down to pick up a long, wicked looking knife. It was completely silver, two feet long with etchings over the blade, and had blacked leather wrapped around its hilt-less handle. Cheshire made an appearance once more.

"Your knife is necessary, but not sufficient. Always collect what's useful. Reject only your ignorance and you may survive." Cheshire offered up some advice, before fading away once more. As they turned towards a wooden ramp that was above an acid stream, they spotted the White Rabbit, who spared the duo a quick glance before suddenly turned and ran the other direction, shrinking as he did so.

"Why do I get the feeling that he just shrank to get through a small door?" Naruto asked, looking annoyed by his own suggestion.

"Perhaps, he did just that." Alice sighed. Oh Wonderland, you always managed to make things more difficult in your own way, didn't you? Naruto spotted what appeared to be a tentacle nearby, grimacing as it continued pulsing away, like it was alive. They quickly made their way up the ramp, before they came across another gnome, who was standing in front of the biggest house they had seen so far, a sign that said "Mayor Elder" showed that it belonged to the Mayor of the gnomes, the gnome standing outside of the house itself.

Alice decided to speak to him. "Everyone seems completely dejected." Alice rolled on the heels of her feet. "Are things really as bad as all that?" Naruto gave his best friend a strange look.

"Alice, sorry to interrupt, but have you been missing the acid streams, the pitch black sky and the random tentacles that we've been seeing around the area?" Naruto blurted out in disbelief, causing Alice to blush as she took note of all of these things, feeling more than a little embarrassed.

"The truth would reduce you to a blubbering baby..." The mayor told them, his voice sounding stronger than the last gnome that they had come across. "Are you and your friend the saviours Rabbit has been telling us about all this time?"

"I can't speak for Naruto, but I'm shouldn't think so, I'm just a person..." Alice confessed.

"Did Rabbit shrink and go into that really small door over there?" Naruto asked the gnome, pointing towards the door that was as small as a mouse on the other side of the platform.

"Yes, he went through that doorway, he did." The gnome mayor confirmed their next task at hand.

"Now we need to get really small... about this big." Alice admitted, holding her fingers a few inches apart to highlight the size. The mayor looked at her fingers for a few moments, deep in thought.

"Calls for some serious twisting, you'll need to go sideways, not forward. If I knew how, I'd go sideways myself." The mayor told them, causing Naruto to sigh in annoyance.

"Not twisted you idiot, small, we need to be this big." Naruto told the mayor, who nodded his head, rubbing his chin in thought.

"The Fortress of doors holds such secrets. But it will take more than a wish to get inside." The gnome told them, before walking off. Cheshire decided to appear once more.

"Doors have locks. Locks have keys. Which you don't have. Let's hope the doors are open." Cheshire told them, waving a paw as he did so.

"And if not, there may be more than one way to skin a cat, if you'll pardon the expression." Alice mused, smirking as she did so. Cheshire tried to grimace at the words, only to grin widely towards the girl.

"A most unpleasant metaphor, please avoid it in the future." Cheshire pleaded with the girl, before he once again faded out of existence. As they were about to proceed further, Naruto suddenly found himself pulling out his newly found katana as what appeared to be a playing card ran towards them.

Naruto finally noted its appearance. It had a body of a playing card, a Spade on the front with a spear with a spaded tip clutched in gloved hands, black boots covered his feet and a medieval executioner's hood covered his head. Naruto found himself blacking the Card Guard as it tried to stab Alice with its spear.

"See Alice, I told you that we'd be needing weapons at one point in Wonderland!" Naruto grunted before he kicked the Card Guard in the stomach, pushing it back, before slashing into it twice. The Card Guard suddenly fell into four different pieces, blood pouring everywhere, before it turned into another piece of Meta-Essence. Alice was less than pleased however.

"Naruto, why did you kill that card?" Alice demanded angrily, causing Naruto to growl in annoyance.

"It was trying to stab you! I retaliated by killing it!" Naruto snapped. "I am not going to let my best friend be hurt simply because she was too blind to see that she needed to defend herself. I will not let you be hurt, got it? I will keep you alive until I am sliced into two pieces if I have to." Naruto declared, causing Alice's eyes to widen for a moment, before she glared at Naruto again.

"I never asked you to help me." Alice frowned.

"Too bad, I'm stuck here with you, so helping you is all I can do." Naruto gave a quick reply. Alice looked away, not too sure what to make of the entire situation that they were in, but she couldn't deny that Naruto was loyal to her, as he was to any of his friends. The blond in question bent down to pick up the small stone, before handing it to the girl with auburn hair, whose emerald-green eyes turned to Naruto in slight surprise. "I know that it's not much, but I'm sure we can make use of it later on, when it's most important." Naruto confessed, before he started pacing about, looking thoughtful.

"We best continue our journey." Alice told Naruto after a moment of though, the blond nodded in agreement.

Naruto and Alice had climbed up a ledge, for it seemed like it was the only way for them to go forward. When Alice jumped to the top of the ledge, the Cheshire cat appeared, grinning at the duo.

"Only a few find the way; some don't recognize it when they do; so don't ever want to." He offered cryptically before fading away, grinning widely as ever. Naruto frowned before jumping up onto the ledge, managing to keep his balance this time. He followed Alice as she ran up another ramp, towards another gnome.

"Rabbit told us a champion would come. Are you that champion?" The gnome asked Alice, before spotting Naruto out of the corner of his eye when the blond made his presence known.

"Perhaps, can you get me and my friend inside the Fortress of Doors?" Alice asked the gnome, who looked at her in disbelief, before shaking his head.

"Oh no, wouldn't dare. Since the upheaval we've all become gutless half-wits. I can barely risk crossing the road... But, make your way to the mine, the deepest pit, there's one wiser and braver than myself who might help. He still lives free."

Naruto and Alice exchanged looks.

"This is going to mean that we're going to run into trouble, doesn't it?" Naruto asked, to which Alice nodded slowly, not too sure either. "Great, just what we need." Naruto sighed. Alice turned and made their way across another plank walkway, with Naruto following her. Suddenly, below them Cheshire made another appearance, grinning up at them.

"Every adventure requires a first step. Trite, but true, even here." Cheshire offered, looking at the mineshaft that he was sitting in front of, the sign above said "Yur-Mine", indicating that it was the direction that they needed to head off into. He faded away once more, leaving the duo to jump down so they could continue their journey.

"So, who's going to jump down first, me or-" Naruto started, only for Alice to just jump down before he could finish. "...you?" Naruto sighed, before jumping down so he could follow her into the mineshaft, wondering what laid ahead for them.

* * *

><p>Dr. Heironymous Q. Wilson had begun writing into his casebook of Alice Liddell. It was something that he had been doing for years. But this time, he had a reason to believe that Alice could actually be cured!<p>

_18 April 1874_

_Interesting development! Alice has returned the gift, presenting Nurse D- with a drawing of a rabbit, though it's quite different from her toy._

Dr. Wilson looked at the picture that had been given to his nurse by Alice. It was a really well drawn picture as well, more than he actually thought that he would be getting from the girl. It was of a large white rabbit with pink eyes and a small nose, its twin buckteeth sticking down over its lower lip just below its small pink nose. However, this rabbit was unnaturally thin and standing upon its hind legs with its hands folded while appearing somewhat ... 'twisted', it was also somehow wearing clothes, which consisted of a pair of black kid gloves, white spats, yellow vest with a pocket watch chain hanging from it, red overcoat, and black top hat, which strangely enough gave the odd white rabbit a gentlemanly appearance. The rabbit itself seemed to be running along a metal panel of some sorts, with three clocks in the background in the dark sky where the stars shined brightly.

He didn't know whether or not he could mark this down as an improvement or not.

Still, there was the fact that Naruto was asking about being able to protect Alice again, being her bodyguard like he normally was. This seemed to be a regular occurrence ever since what Liam Young had tried to do, this was only made worse by the two nephews of the Superintendent trying to get payback for when Alice stabbed one of them with a spoon. He must confess, seeing Naruto chase them continuously for four hours had been most entertaining, even if he didn't want to admit it.

It was almost regretful that he had to stop Naruto in the end.

However, Dr. Wilson decided that he would allow Naruto to be in the same room as Alice for the first time in years, and almost instantly got results. It was most fascinating to the doctor to see them interact as if they had known each other for years. This was most true when he learnt that they had been friends for years, almost as soon as Naruto had been admitted into Rutledge.

Dr. Wilson finally had a reason to believe that Alice and Naruto might end up curing each other from their own madness through their own friendship, something that pleased the doctor more than he thought possible.

He would allow them to stay together for as long as he believed it would help them become cured, even if it didn't seem like it would help them at all.

He knew that he was onto something here, he just had to be.

* * *

><p>As they exited the mineshaft, Naruto grumbled something under his breath, while Alice merely sighed in relief. Even for them both, the mineshafts had become something more annoying than they would like to admit. As they got to the edge of a wooden ledge, they sighed.<p>

Before them, the room was rounded slightly, acid forming a large pool at the bottom, with green ropes hanging down all around them and no ladders down to the wooden walkway on the other side of the room, where both Naruto and Alice spotted a small gnome elder puffing away at a pipe.

"This place is just messed up." Naruto sighed, while Alice looked around anxiously.

"There's no way for us to get down from here." Alice noted in worry, was what they had really the ropes that were around the room, or was they hopefully something else that they could use? Cheshire made an appeared onto of what appeared to be a chimney, to address them.

"I take it you're going to help us out with this?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow at the cat, who merely grinned widely at them.

"Hanging ropes are as good as step ladders to those who know how to use them." Cheshire offered casually, using his paw to motion towards the hanging green ropes before them. Across the stream of acid that lingered below, was another wooden platform on the other side.

"Just how does he expect us to get across using those ropes?" Alice demanded in disbelief, to which Naruto grinned.

"I'll show you." Naruto told his best friend, taking a few steps back, before charging across and jumping, grabbing hold of the rope and swinging towards the other platform, landing on the wooden platform.

Alice grimaced, wondering if her best was actually insane.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this." Alice took a deep breath, before she too took a charge, jumping when she got to the edge. She grabbed the rope and screamed when she swung forward. Below her, Naruto kept his eyes on his best friend, ready to catch at the earliest moment. Alice finally let go of the rope when she felt she could direct herself towards Naruto, knowing that he would catch her when she finally fall in his direction.

She was proved correct, for Naruto caught his best friend with ease. The poor girl was so shaken up that she had wrapped her arms around his neck, her emerald eyes wide in fear. The blond was quick to calm her down.

"There, there, it's over now Alice. There's nothing to fear, I promise." Naruto soothed softly, making sure that Alice was nice and calm when she was to be dropped from his arms.

"Naruto..." Alice uttered softly. "Can you please put me down?" She knew that she could rely on him. He was always there for her, ever since he first met her in the Asylum. Naruto nodded, allowing her to drop on her own feet. Alice took a breath, before nodding to herself. She turned to Naruto, smiling slightly. "Thank you."

"No problem." Naruto felt confused, but didn't make it sound that he was. He had no idea why Alice was thanking him for that one event, or was it for more than just catching her? Women were so confusing sometimes.

The duo made their way to the elder gnome, who looked surprised to see them.

"Why do you pursue me to this deserted place?" The gnome asked, sounding a lot calmer and braver than the other gnomes so far.

"How do you know we were pursuing you?" Naruto asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"There is no-one else around here, so it must be me that you are pursuing." The elder gnome pointed out, to which Naruto nodded, seeing why they had been sent his way.

"We wish to benefit from your wisdom." Alice told the gnome elder, rocking on her heels.

"Even blurred vision is valued by the blind. If I were clever, would I cower in this slagheap? I'm not wise girl... I've just grown old." The old gnome told them. Naruto took time to remember something from before Rutledge Asylum, a certain old man that he used to talk to, seek guidance from. Who this old man was, the name escaped him.

"But, wouldn't your age mean that you have knowledge? Knowledge that I'm sure that we do not have," Naruto offered, looking deep in thought, distracted by old memories. The gnome gives him a look, before accepting his words.

"We wish to get very small. No bigger than a mouse. Do you know how we might do that?" Alice questioned the gnome, who took in another mouthful of smoke from his pipe.

"Only that? Oh yes, I could manage that... for a price." The gnome elder told them, to which Alice and Naruto spare a glance.

"But we have nothing of value." Alice protested, while Naruto licked his lips, wondering if this was going to happen everywhere they went. People asking for favours, simply because they could and had things that Alice and he wanted, badly needed.

"You both have nerve and your health. Mine are nearly gone. I've seen too much suffering... and I smoke too much you see." The gnome explained, warily looking around for the Card Guards.

"What must we do?" Alice questioned, to which the gnome puffed his pipe once more.

"In the Card Guards' compound a particularly rough Diamond holds the key. Retrieve it. I will... repay the favour." The gnome explained what he needed from them. Naruto opened his mouth to ask a question, only for the gnome elder to suddenly disappear in a shower of sparks.

"How did he do that?" Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Alice didn't have an answer for the blond.

"Off we go then." Alice muttered to herself, before she rushed off into the compound, leaving Naruto to follow her. As they walked into the corridor, Naruto took note of a danger sign above them, wondering whether or not he should be more worried than he actually was. Twisting and turning through the corridor, around the few large rocks that happened to be in their way, the duo came across a cart that seemed to be the only way to their next destination. Naruto and Alice exchanged looks.

Alice decided to be the first person to get on the cart, with Naruto quick to follow her. Alice crossed her arms as the mine cart was lifted up by an elevator, while Naruto had an excited grin over his features. However, when the cart got to the top, Alice found herself falling backwards, causing Naruto to fall backwards as well.

"Alice..." Naruto made his presence and just how close he was to his best friend known. She was now leaning against his chest, much to the girl's embarrassment. However, she made no movement to get away from her best friend, much to Naruto's surprise. '_I was honestly expecting her to be moving away from me by now, does she actually like this or something?_' Naruto shook his head quickly. This was clearly not the time to be distracted by such thoughts.

The mine itself was dark, lit up dimly by several lanterns along the way. However, this wasn't the problem. Ahead of them, several large boulders came falling down from the ceiling, breaking the tracks ahead of them. When they got closer to the newly formed gap in the tracks, the cart nearly jumped to get across, which would have forced Alice back into Naruto, had she moved away from him beforehand. Naruto wrapped his arms around his best friend, grimacing at the idea of her falling from the moving cart. Alice looked up at the blond, giving him an annoyed glance.

"Naruto... are you that worried about me, or do you just want to touch me?" Her eyes narrowed at the last bit, leaving Naruto to give her a look of confusion.

"No, I'm just worried. Why else would I be doing this?" Naruto asked Alice, who frowned, before shaking her head.

"No reason." Alice sighed, only for her eyes to widen when she spotted more boulders falling from the ceiling, taking out some more of the track ahead. Once again they found themselves being pushed into the air. However, it was the sight of the drop ahead that got them both to widen their eyes in shock.

"Fuck this!" Naruto shouted, as he grabbed hold of Alice and jumped to the side with her in hand. They landed awkwardly on the wooden platform, with a good enough view to see the mine cart that they had been riding, drop into the acid stream below, causing both to pale sharply. The Meta-Essence that was in Alice's pocket healed her bruises quickly, much to their surprise. "We are never getting on one of those blasted things ever again." Naruto uttered, to which Alice nodded in agreement.

When footsteps could be heard, Naruto quickly draw his sword, just in time to block a stab from a Card Guard, who grunted before repeatedly tried to stab Naruto, who could only block from his downed position. Alice however, took this moment of distraction to get behind the Card Guard, and slice him in half, before it even realized what had happened. When the top half of its body fell backwards, it became a piece of Meta-Essence, which Naruto grabbed, only to be healed almost instantly. Alice looked surprised by what she had done. Only to remember what she had said when she was just a small girl. '_Who cares about you? You're nothing back a pack of cards!'_ Now however, they were taking to kill her, so it really didn't make much of a difference.

"I am starting to detest this place." Naruto growled in annoyance as he got back to his feet. Alice merely cleaned her Vorpal Blade on her pinafore, ignoring Naruto to take a look around her.

"We need to keep moving." Alice told Naruto, who nodded in agreement. However, when they made their way forward, Alice got distracted by a deck of cards that just happened to be lying nearby. As she picked them up, she managed to slice her finger on the card, causing her to gasp in pain. Naruto looked surprised by the situation.

"The cards are made of metal... and they're really sharp too, if your finger is anything to go by." Naruto noted, causing Alice to glare at him, as she sucked on her cut finger. Cheshire made an appearance, grinning widely at them.

"52 pickup is a staple of juvenile humour. But when the deck slices and dices, it's no laughing matter." Cheshire mused darkly, before he faded away. However, it was clear where Naruto and Alice needed to go next.

"Do you think we will encounter many of them?" Naruto asked as they walked towards the door that led to the compound.

"We should see a handful, but nothing we can't handle, I suppose." Alice mused, as she opened the door to a corridor, only to find another door at the end.

"That makes no sense." Naruto admitted bluntly. "Where's the logic in that?" Alice merely gave him a look, before shaking her head, not sure what to really say to that. As they walked into the corridor, they spotted two Club Cards and one Diamond Card. Naruto took one of the kunai that he had picked up, before looking at Alice. She looked at the Guard Cards, only to find them rushing the duo. Naruto quickly threw a kunai at one of the clubs, who got caught off guard and impaled in the head, causing him to fall over, dead. The Diamond Card stayed behind, before launching red projectiles towards the duo, who took cover. However, when the Club Card got close, Alice threw several cards at the card, which was impaled, but not before Naruto dived out of the way, avoiding being impaled to the wall as well.

"Sorry Naruto." Alice sounded slightly embarrassed by what she had almost done, only to duck under a projectile sent to her by the Diamond Card.

"Don't apologize until we get out of here alive." Naruto growled, before he launched two kunai towards the Diamond Card, who swore before getting out of the way. However it didn't have the time to dodge both Naruto and Alice, who impaled it as they ran it through with their katana and Vorpal Blade respectively. The look of shock before he turned into a piece of Meta-Essence was there for both to see. They spotted a table which had a key with a skull. Alice picked it up, realizing that it was what the gnome elder had wanted.

"So this is what we came for." Alice mused, as she put the key away in her pocket. "But how are we to get back to the elder?" She remembered what had happened to the cart that they had used to get there, and quite frankly wanted to forget it now that she thought about it.

"What about up there? It looks like the only way out." Naruto noted, looking up at the floor above them. Alice took note of where he was looking at, before nodding in agreement. However, when they walked up the steps, they came across a swirling green vortex. They stared at it for a few moments.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Think it's safe?" Naruto finally broke the silence. Alice decided during the silence that quite frankly, she didn't care unless there were some Card Guards to worry about.

"As long as the Card Guards don't return, I don't really care." Alice admitted to her best friend, who simply nodded, seeing her reason.

"So... shall we?" Naruto offered to Alice, who nodded slowly. They cautiously took a step forward, before they took each other's hands and jumped into the vortex. A sinking feeling went through both of them, but they ended up in a doorway. "That was not as bad as it could have been." Naruto admitted, as a set of bars raised up at the end of the corridor that they had appeared in. They could see the area where they had first met the elder gnome up ahead.

"We can't take our time, there's no time to lose." Alice told Naruto, who nodded, only to freeze when a Club Card stabbed at Alice's direction. Alice was able to dodge the surprise attack, but the Club Card was not able to avoid being kicked into the acid stream by Naruto, causing it to scream in agony as it was dissolved in the acid. Naruto had a twisted grin on his features as he watched its painful death.

"Nobody is allowed to hurt Alice, anyone who does will simply die!" Naruto laughed hysterically, before being forced to dodge some projectiles from some Diamond Cards, who were also firing at Alice as well. She had retaliated by launching several of her cards at the Diamond Cards, who also had to avoid being impaled by Naruto's kunai. In the end, they were both killed. One by Naruto's Kunai and the other by Alice's cards. Naruto licked his lips as he ran his hands through his hair frantically, feeling overjoyed when he spotted that Alice had remained unharmed during the fight.

"Naruto, the elder went through that vortex over there." Alice told Naruto, who calmed down, before nodding. They both jumped across a bit of acid to get to a small piece of rock, with Alice taking lead. They then climbed up a piece of rope and onto the platform they had jumped onto before. Alice picked up some more Meta-Essence along the way, taking the pieces for future use.

When the duo went through the vortex, they spotted the gnome elder working on a device that looked like a combination of a blimp, a large basket and a bicycle, floating in the air. Naruto paled sharply at the sight of the device.

"That does not look safe, at all." Naruto ran his hands through hair in disbelief. Were they really going to be using that device to get to their next destination?

"You have the key?" The elder gnome asked, to which Alice produced the key for the gnome to see. The gnome elder grinned. "Very resourceful, Rabbit's confidence is not misplaced. He is no fool." The elder gnome told them, while getting onto the bicycle part of his strange device.

"I certainly hope not." Alice frowned, before she entered the basket portion of the device, despite the fact that Naruto grimaced at the idea of using the device. He simply sighed and joined her, seeing no other choice for him to choose. They took off into the air.

"Use the key to free my clan from the oppressive burden they carry. Any fight against the Queen's tyranny is a good fight. They've suffered..." The elder gnome started to say, only for Alice to frown in his direction.

"I'm sure I'm very sorry for them sir. Really, I am. But what about me and my friend getting small?" Alice rudely interrupted the gnome elder, causing Naruto to sigh about the rudeness of his best friend and the lack of concern towards the wellbeing of others.

Still, there was more than one thing that needed to be done, becoming small enough to follow Rabbit was just one of them.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 is completed ... or is it 2?<strong>

**It doesn't matter really, as long as the chapters come out and get posted I guess.**

**Still, I'm happy enough as it is, I'm actually starting a new job on Monday, go me.**

**It's during the evening, and because I don't drink alcohol, it's not a problem to me.**

**Enough about me, more about this story.**

**I have been distracted by getting more games and looking for jobs, thankfully, one of these distractions is out of the way.**

**Getting more games and playing them, is a distraction that will never go away, especially if I decided to go for my "Let's Play" gaming channel on youtube.**

**Who knows, it might work out after all. Though I'm not entirely sure myself personally.**

**Until next time, goodbye and goodnight.**


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